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Millennials & A.I.

Millennials and Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)

Millennials, a word which instills fear and hope in equal amounts. Millennials are (debatably) born between 1980 and 2000 and even though you may remember “The Simpsons” debut episode like it was yesterday an entire generation has not only entered the workforce but are now the largest generation in the American workforce. Maybe you already know this or maybe you are one!

Millennials are often cast in a negative light being judged as technology obsessed narcissists and while there may be some credence to these claims, Millennials are digital natives who have been interacting with technology for as long as they can remember so what better generation could we ask for to facilitate the rise of Artificial Intelligence( A.I.). in the workplace?

What makes a millennial a better fit for artificial intelligence adoption than a member of a previous generation? The first and possibly most important aspect is that A.I. has reached the tipping point where it can be successfully applied to many real-world problems. This coincides perfectly with millennials entering the workforce allowing a symbiotic relationship of machine and millennial learning to occur. The rise of A.I. has given way to fears of redundancy and obsolescence among older generations but is being seized upon as an opportunity by millennials. Younger workers have often been at the vanguard of promoting improved technologies and they find it easier to adapt to A.I. since they have experienced this type of technology in their everyday lives.

Despite the supposed natural affinity for all things technological, Millennials are not necessarily more competent when it comes to using technology. For day to day functions such as browsing and shopping online they may be more comfortable but when it comes to difficult user interfaces a Millennial is not any more capable than a more senior colleague. Millennials may be less adept at using complex or archaic IT systems than someone who is used to problem solving and deciphering complex workflows. But as the number of Millennials ever increases it is important that enterprise employers recognize that A.I. systems have a focus on usability and providing the user with a positive experience.

As this new generation continues to move into the workforce a company that can capitalize on the skills they bring is sure to defeat the competition. To paraphrase the quote often mis-attributed to Darwin; “it is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change”. In a golden age for technology, it is important that companies adapt to embrace new technologies and mindsets lest they be out-competed by nimbler opponents.

Keelvar Sourcing Optimizer marries optimization power with usability. The platform was developed with these needs in mind from inception and continues to build increasingly powerful AI to automate processes and drive greater performance, speed and reliability.